On the second play of the win over the Bears, Vernon broke through the line and leveled Jay Cutler with a form tackle as the quarterback released the ball. The pass fell incomplete and Vernon got up to return to the Giants’ huddle while Cutler remained on the turf in pain.

After a brief delay, referee Craig Wrolstad threw a flag. Wrolstad announced a roughing the passer penalty on Vernon to the shock of the Giants and their 78,898 fans at MetLife Stadium. Wrolstad said the penalty was for “driving the quarterback into the ground with his full weight.”